See my scars
by Skovko
Summary: On their way out for a night of fun, The Shield come across a women in an alley about to bleed to dead from slit wrists. They manage to take her home and save her but once they get her out of her bloody clothes, something more sinister shows its face. And when she wakes up, they quickly learn things aren't as they original thought.
1. A woman in the alley

It was three happy men that turned the corner and continued walking down the street. They weren't drunk, not yet, but they were on their way to one of the local bars. It was just a usual night out, at least that's how it started. Little did they know it would be anything but usual.

"I just gotta pee," Dean said as he stepped into a dark alley.  
"Why didn't you go at home?" Seth asked.  
"Didn't have to go back then, smart boy," Dean answered.

He took a couple of more steps into the darkness and reached for his zipper. He didn't get a chance to pull it down before he heard it, soft moaning, coming from further in. He chuckled lowly, thinking someone was having sex in the dark alley.

"I hear you, guys," he said teasingly. "Keep her quiet or I'm coming down to take a peek."

The soft moaning continued, still just a female voice, and he figured he could wait a minute with peeing.

"I warned you," he chuckled.

He took his phone out and turned on the flashlight and moved further into the alley, following the sound of the soft moaning, trying to imagine what the woman might look like and how she was taking it in the current moment. What he found was anything but expected. There was a woman indeed but there was absolutely nothing sexual about it. She laid on her back, barely clinging on to life, while the blood poured out of her slit wrists.

"Guys, help!" He shouted.

Seth and Roman stormed into the alley the second they heard Dean's shouts for help. They found their friend with his shirt off, wrapping it around one of the wrists of the woman. Seth dropped down on her other side, yanked his shirt off too and wrapped the other wrist.

"Roman..." Seth started.  
"On it," Roman said.

He sprinted out of the alley to get the car they had parked close by.

"Hey, stay awake!" Seth barked and lightly tapped on the woman's cheeks.  
"Shit!" Dean hissed.  
"You gotta stay awake," Seth said. "Fuck! We need to get her up."

He managed to lift her up and carry her out of the alley just at the same time as Roman pulled up. Dean opened the door to the back seat and Seth got himself and her into it.

"Step on it, Roman!" He hissed before looking down at the woman. "You're not dying on my watch. You hear me, sweet cheeks? You're not fucking dying on my watch!"

Roman ran to the house and unlocked the door, turning on the lights as he ran through the rooms. Dean was following straight after, getting his medical gear ready in the room they always used to patch each other up while Seth carried her inside and laid her down on the high bed they kept in there.

"Is there still time?" Seth asked.  
"I hope so. Her heart is still beating but it's struggling to keep up," Dean answered as he thread the needle.

He removed one of the shirts and started sowing her arm together. She was unconscious but still moaning softly by the needle going through her arm but at least she laid still. Once he was done with one arm, he moved to the other side and gave the other arm the same treatment.

"It's all up to her now," he said as he put the needle down.  
"Fight, sweet cheeks," Seth said while stroking her cheek. "Why would such a pretty thing try and take her own life?"  
"Ask her yourself when she wakes up," Roman said.  
"Shouldn't we be getting her out of this bloody dress?" Seth asked.  
"I'll get a shirt," Roman said.

He ran to his room and grabbed a clean shirt. It was basically the same length as her little white dress and it would cover her up just the same. Once he was back in the room, Seth and Dean gently lifted her up in a sitting position, holding on to her while taking her dress off.

"What the fuck is that?" Seth asked as he looked at her back.  
"Burn marks," Dean answered.  
"Seriously?" Roman asked and walked around to take a look as well. "Holy shit, how many are there?"

Seth quickly counted them and looked up in horror.

"30," he answered.  
"By the looks of them this has been going on over a period of time. See, some of them are healed or almost healed while others look like they were done recently," Dean said.  
"Maybe that's why she tried to kill herself. If she's with an abusive bastard," Roman said.  
"Guess we'll learn soon enough. Her breathing seems more steady now. Can you grab that creme over there?" Dean asked and pointed. "Wanna make sure this heals properly."

Roman walked over and grabbed the cream and Dean gently applied it to the burn marks. Afterwards Seth got her in Roman's shirt and they gently laid her back down on the bed.

"And now we wait," Dean said.  
"Such a shame," Seth said as he put a blanket over her lower body. "Such a shame that such a pretty face is hurting."


	2. Voices

Voices reached her. She couldn't make out any words at first but she could hear there was more than one voice. It sounded like three voices. Three male voices. Three unknown voices. She kept her eyes closed, focusing on breathing and waking up, trying to figure out what the voices were talking about.

"Such a pretty face."  
"Wait for her to wake up."

They were definately talking about her and it had her on edge right away. She opened her eyes and quickly caught the three men standing close to the door. None of them were looking at her and she used the moment to look around for something to defend herself with. Her eyes landed on the little rolling table next to the bed with the tray of instruments on it. Were they planning on torturing her? Of course they were. She slowly reached her hand towards the tray, silently taking the scalpel.

"Hey, you're awake," the shortest of the men were looking straight at her.

She rolled out of bed fast, almost falling to the floor but managing to stay on her feet.

"Wow, careful," he continued and moved towards her.  
"Stay away!" She yelled.

She lifted her hand with the scalpel and slowly backed away.

"Wow, easy there," he said.  
"I'm not gonna let you do it," she said through gritted teeth.  
"No one's gonna do anything to you. You're safe here," he said.  
"Great, we got a mentally disturbed one on our hands," Dean rolled his eyes.  
"Shut it, Dean!" Seth hissed.

She felt her back hit the wall and panic rushed through her. There was no way out. She might be able to hurt one of them but not all three of them. No way she would ever make it out of the door. She started trembling a bit and her eyes got watery. The man closest to her took another step forward, still holding his hands up as he continued looking at her.

"No one's gonna hurt you. I promise. I'm Seth and those back there are Dean and Roman. Can you tell me your name?" He spoke in a soft, comforting tone.

Her eyes went between all three of them, her hand never lowering.

"Thea," she finally said.  
"Thea? Hi there. Is it alright if I step a bit closer?" He asked, taking another step before she even answered.

She was still trembling, her eyes focusing on him, something about the whole thing was off. He took one step at the time until he was one step away from her.

"Seth," Dean said warningly.  
"She's not gonna hurt me," Seth said before taking the final step and stopping in front of her. "Right, Thea? You're not gonna hurt me."

He reached his hand towards hers slowly, closing his fingers over it, gently taking the scalpel out of her hand.

"See. Nothing to be afraid of," he said, both to her and to his friends behind him.

Her body seemed to fall backwards, no doubt she would have fallen if the wall hadn't been there. He quickly placed his free arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, sliding down the wall with her up against him. His other hand slid the scalpel across the floor and Roman quickly grabbed it to get it out of harm's way. Seth gave his two friends a knowingly look and pointed at the door. They silently disappeared, leaving him in there with the woman.

"That's it, let it all out," he said softly as she cried into his chest.

He held her close, allowing her to cry for a little while, and when it seemed to die down a bit, he opened his mouth again.

"What's so bad in your life that you wanna end it all?" He asked.  
"I didn't," she said lowly.  
"Come on," he said and lifted up one of her arms so she could see Dean's work on it. "You really can't lie your way out of it. We found you in that alley and we saved you so I think you at least owe me an explanation."  
"I didn't!" She raised her voice and pushed his arm away from her shoulders.  
"Come on, sweet cheeks. Does it has something to do with the burn marks on your back? You got a violent man in your life that has driven you to this point?" He asked.  
"I... I gotta pee," she said.  
"Alright," he said with a sigh. "Let me show you the bathroom."

He walked into the livingroom shortly after.

"She's in the bathroom," he said.  
"How is she?" Roman asked.  
"In denial. She says she didn't slit her wrists," Seth answered.

Dean chuckled and shook his head.

"What did I say? A mentally disturbed one," he said.  
"It does seem weird though," Seth said.  
"What does?" Roman asked.  
"How many people will walk into a dark alley in the middle of the night to commit suicide that way? Most people will do that at home or at least somewhere with light so they can see what they're doing," Seth said.  
"Maybe she wanted to be found?" Dean wondered out loud.  
"Then why choose a dark alley where no one normally walks in?" Seth asked.

All three men went silent for a little while, just looking at each other while thinking it through.

"Dean, come with me," Seth said.  
"Where to?" Dean asked.  
"We're going back to that alley. If she tried committing suicide in there, surely they'll be a razorblade or something sharp where we found her," Seth said.  
"I'll see if I can make her talk while you're gone," Roman said.


	3. The good guys among the bad guys

She sat quietly at the kitchen table, observing the big man move around and take food out from the fridge. He had been waiting for her when she came out of the bathroom, telling her to follow him, asking her nicely but firmly to sit once they reached the kitchen. She had done as he had told her to and now she was just watching him, waiting for his next move.

"You want a sandwich?" He asked and looked at her.

She shook her head.

"No? I'm gonna make one for myself anyway so it's really not any trouble," he said.  
"No thanks," she said lowly.  
"You're not much of a talker, are you?" He looked at her with gentle eyes. "I'm making you a sandwich. You gotta eat. Get your strength back after your little trip to hell tonight. What do you want in it?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Is ham and cheese okay? I'm making that for myself," he said.

Again she just shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to say anything if she could help it, afraid she might say the wrong thing and get punished for it. He hummed lowly as he made the sandwiches and shortly after he placed the plate in front of her.

"Eat," he said.

It sounded like an order and she quickly grabbed the sandwich and took as small of a bite as she could, hoping she somehow could get through this without vomiting. He narrowed his eyes as he watched her and put his own sandwich down.

"Alright, what's wrong with it?" He asked.  
"Nothing," she lied.  
"I can tell you don't like it. Is it the ham?" He asked.  
"No," she answered.  
"I really don't wanna play 20 questions over a stupid sandwich. Just tell me," he said.  
"Cheese," she dug her head down, afraid he might slap her for being honest.  
"You don't like cheese?" He asked.

She looked up surprised. No punishment for being difficult? That was something she hadn't experienced in a long time. She slowly shook her head no, giving him the answer to his question.

"Okay, so take it out," he said.

Again she just stared as if she didn't think she was actually allowed to. He sighed and reached over, taking her sandwich, removing the cheese and handing it back to her.

"There, all good," he said and smiled.

She kept silent as she ate. He tried gently to ask her question to make her open up and reveal something but all he got in return was head shakes and shoulder shrugs. Really not much of a talker, he had been right about that. Once she was finally through her sandwich, he heard the frontdoor open and shortly after Seth and Dean came in and dumped down at the table.

"What's new here?" Seth asked.  
"She doesn't like cheese," Roman answered.  
"That's it? That's all you got? We were away for 30 minutes," Dean shook his head.  
"Thea here doesn't like to talk much," Roman said and smiled at her before looking at his two friends again. "And what did you find?"  
"Nothing," Seth answered.  
"Nothing?" Roman repeated.  
"Absolutely nothing," Seth said.

He reached over and grabbed her hand, pulling her arm into sight while he slowly ran his fingers from his other hand next to the stitches, careful not to put any pressure on it to make her hurt.

"Thea, who did this to you?" He asked.  
"No one," she answered.

She tried pulling her arm back but he only held on tighter.

"I asked you a question and I expect an honest answer. Who did this to you?" He asked.  
"I don't know," she whispered.  
"You don't know who it was? Like someone just jumped you and chose to slice you up?" Dean asked.

She looked over at him and slowly nodded, hoping he would accept it.

"But why?" He questioned further.  
"I gotta pee," she said.

Seth sighed and released her arm and she hurried towards the bathroom, out of sight, away from their questions.

"She did not just pull the bathroom card on us like a 5 year old?" Dean chuckled.  
"I call bullshit on this. She knows who it was and it's someone who scares her," Roman said.  
"I think I would be pretty scared too if someone had tried playing tic tac toe with my veins," Seth said.

Shortly after they heard the toilet flush and she came walking back slowly, looking around the place as she went, eyeing any chance of escape if she needed one. She could see the front door and that was enough for her to relax a bit and continue back to the kitchen and sit back down.

"Alright, let's try this instead. Are you one of the street kids like us or did you just get lost?" Seth asked.  
"I know the streets," she answered.  
"Okay, good, so you know most of the groups running around out there?" He asked.

She nodded, not wanting to mention the names she knew, not until she actually knew who these three were and what they stood for.

"So you should have heard of us. We're The Shield," Seth said.

There was a small pause where they all just looked at her and she stared back at Seth. The Shield. She most definately had heard about them. At first people thought they were a myth created by those who needed some sort of hope to hold on to but they had blasted their way through the streets fast and everyone knew they existed. Unfortunately most people didn't want them to exist. She held her breath for a few seconds and suddenly she jumped up and bolted for the front door.

"Guess she heard about us," Roman said.  
"Are we gonna let her run?" Dean asked.  
"I'll get her," Seth sighed and got up before taking off running as well.

She hadn't made it far. Running barefooted in these streets could slow almost everyone down. Broken glass, rocks and other pieces of items everywhere but still she tried. He caught up with her fast, wrapping his arms around her waist to get her back. She went balistic, screaming and fighting, clearly not wanting to go back. He managed to carry her back inside where Dean and Roman stood waiting.

"Stop it!" He sneered.  
"Let me go! If he knows I'm with you, he's gonna do way worse to me!" She screamed.  
"Worse than trying to kill you? Because he already tried that, didn't he?" Seth said in a hard tone as he carried her towards his room.  
"You don't understand!" She screamed.  
"No, I don't. So why don't you give me a name and I'll see if I can put the pieces together?" He said.

They had made it to his door and Roman quickly opened it so Seth wouldn't have to let go off her.

"Listen here, sweet cheeks, we're not the bad guys. Yes, we're out killing it on the streets as well but in this fucked up town, we're the good guys among the bad guys. We bring justice to those who deserve it," Seth said.

He had finally made it to his bed and he threw her down on it. She backed up in the corner, looking at them scared. He let out a low growl as he reached for the switch the the nightlamp next to the bed. Her fearful eyes almost twinkled in the dim light.

"Ten days till the stitches need to come out. You're staying here for ten days and it's not up for debate," Seth said.

All three men moved close to the door so they could whisper together without her hearing.

"You think she'll talk?" Dean asked.  
"We got ten days. She'll talk," Seth answered.  
"You just scared the shit out of her," Roman said.  
"Yeah, I have to do some damage control here," Seth sighed. "Close the door on your way out."

Roman and Dean nodded and left the room, closing the door behind them. Seth looked at her and felt bad about what had just went down when he saw how scared she still looked. He quickly stripped out of his clothes and moved to the bed. She tried backing further into the corner which was impossible.

"Please, don't," she whispered.  
"Don't what?" He asked.  
"Don't hurt me," she whispered.  
"Hurt you? What exactly do you think I'm gonna do to you? You're gonna sleep in here. The couch sucks and I can't have you back in that crappy bed where you first started," he said.  
"Sleep? So you're not gonna...?" She looked at him confused.  
"Gonna what?" He asked, his eyes stared into hers and he could see the pure fear in there. "Oh crap, _that_! No, I'm not gonna force myself upon you. What kind of shitty place do you come from?"

He sighed and laid down, gently tapping the spot next to him.

"Come here," he said softly.

She looked at him for a few seconds longer, weighing her options. She knew she really didn't have any so she finally gave up and pushed herself down to lie next to him. He pulled up the cover over both of them and turned off the nightlamp.

"You're gonna have to give me a name eventually," he said lowly. "I need to know who did that to you. The burn marks, your wrists, and what else you've been through. I need to know who I have to go after."


	4. Lie still

It had been three days since they found her in the alley and the three man had been cut down to two every night when they walked out to patrol the streets. They didn't like it one bit, after all they were stronger all together, but someone had to stay home with her and make sure she didn't run off. They took turns in doing so.

She seemed like a very sweet woman. Quiet still but they could make her talk. She just didn't say the one thing they wanted her to. The name they so desperately wanted to hear. They tried their best to make her stay with them as comfortable as possible. They were kind and friendly, they had even bought some clothes for her so she wouldn't have to run around in the same set of underwear and Roman's shirt while she was with them. Basically they were trying to make her feel at home.

She spent each night next to Seth in his bed and he found she was more open to conversation when it was just the two of them rather than all three gaining up on her. He could even make her laugh and almost seem carefree sometimes and he found himself taking a liking to her that just grew for each moment he spent with her. He found that he'd rather stay at home with her and let Dean and Roman go out even though he loved being out on the streets, serving justice with his brothers. However, it was an agreement they would take turns and on this day, the third day, Dean was staying home with her. A couple of hours into the night, the front door was suddenly slammed open with force.

"Dean!" Roman roared loudly.

The sound of his voice alone sent shivers down both Dean and Thea's spines. Something was wrong. Dean flew up from the couch and ran towards the door. Roman was holding Seth up who was bleeding from his left shoulder.

"Fuck, it hurts!" Seth moaned.  
"He's been shot. The bullet's still in there," Roman quickly explained.  
"Get him into the room," Dean said.

Roman dragged Seth into the room and helped him to lie down on the high bed. Dean was already going through the medical gear to find what he needed to take out the bullet. No one noticed Thea silently slipping into the room as well, looking down at Seth who was clearly in pain. Pain or not, he saw her standing there and reached his right hand out in the air towards her.

"Thea," he said almost beggingly.

He didn't need to say anything else. He didn't need to ask her. She quickly walked over to him and took his hand in both of hers and smiled warmly down at him. Roman and Dean quickly exchanged a look before Dean focused on Seth's shoulder again.

"Okay, this is gonna hurt but you gotta lie still," he warned.  
"Why don't you got any sedative in this place?" Seth growled.  
"Because I like to hear you scream, cry baby," Dean chuckled. "Now lie still."

A scream tore through the room as Dean tried digging out the bullet from Seth's shoulder.

"I said lie still!" Dean hissed.  
"Oh yeah? You fucking lie here instead and I'll go evil killer doctor on your body!" Seth sneered.  
"Just focus on something else. Imagine yourself on a beach or something," Dean said.  
"I fucking hate going to the beach!" Seth snapped.  
"Just think of something else. Something good," Dean said.

Dean dug in again and Seth did the only thing he could think of. He let go of Thea's hands but instead grabbed her behind her neck and pulled her head down to kiss her. What surprised him the most was not her soft lips or that neither Roman or Dean called him out on it with a lame, perverted joke. What surprised him was that she allowed him to do it. One of her hands gently touched his cheek, stroking down into his hair, her soft lips still connected to his while doing so.

"And it's out. Good boy," Dean said.  
"Shut it!" Seth growled.

He immetiately regretted talking as it meant his lips got unconnected from hers and she pulled back entirely, still smiling though but suddenly way out of reach even though she was still standing next to him.

"Hard's part over. Just need to stich you up," Dean said as he thread the needle.  
"Right," Seth agreed lowly.

Dean quickly closed the bullet wound, it only needed two small stitches, and Roman helped Seth back up to stand.

"You alright there, little brother?" Roman asked.  
"Now I am," Seth answered, his eyes still focused on Thea. "But I could really use something strong."  
"Whiskey or vodka?" Dean asked.  
"How about both?" Seth suggested.  
"Sounds good," Dean said and looked over at Thea as well. "Thea? Whiskey or vodka?"

She just shook her head no and left the room. They all heard the door to Seth's room being opened and closed and suddenly the air felt so heavy around Seth when she wasn't in the room anymore.

"Man, you kissed her," Dean stated the obvious.

Seth just nodded, his eyes still looking at the open door as if he was hoping for her to come walking back in.

"Was it worth it?" Dean continued.  
"Totally," Seth answered and smiled.  
"Are you gonna dive in further?" Roman asked.  
"I don't know," Seth answered honestly.


	5. I can't be trusted

One drink took another and it was a drunk Seth that stumbled into his room hours later. Thea was sound asleep and he tried his best not to wake her as he stripped out of his clothes. He lifted up the cover and his eyes went down to her legs. As always she slept in nothing but her panties and one of his shirts. The shirt had crawled up to her stomach, giving him a good view of her panties and he couldn't help but wanting to get a look and a taste of what was hiding underneath them.

He tried putting himself straight inside his mind. He had two voices inside him battle for control - drunk Seth and normal Seth. Unfortunately drunk Seth won the fight as he laid down behind her and his hand pulled the shirt on her further up, revealing her scarred back. He moved down a little and started kissing up her spine while his arm went around her, his hand following the path up, pushing the shirt further up.

"Seth?" She asked sleepily.  
"Tell me, sweet cheeks, who did this to you," he said in a hoarse voice as his mouth continued upwards. "I'll make it so good for you, I promise, but I want to make it even better and take out whoever it is."

His hand moved down her stomach again, his fingers fiddling with the waistline of her panties in his drunken state of mind. He felt her tense up and hold her breath and somehow normal Seth's voice managed to scream out to him inside his head, stopping him just in time. He rolled away from her with a sigh before sitting up on the edge of the bed. For a little while none of them said anything until he finally opened his mouth.

"Go sleep with Roman," he said.  
"Why?" She asked.  
"I can't be trusted around you right now. Shit, I drank way too much," he said.

When she didn't move, he grabbed the cover and pulled it away from her.

"Go now! Please! Before I do something I can't take back," he begged.

She left his bed without a word and closed the door behind her. Again he sighed and then dumped down on his back, looking up in the ceiling while his hand reached down inside his boxers to take care of the little problem that had emerged by kissing and touching her.

"You look like crap," Dean said.

It was morning and Seth had made his way to the kitchen where Dean and Roman had just started on the first cup of coffee, both of them feeling just as hungover as Seth did in that moment.

"Your fault. You kept filling my glass," Seth said cranky.  
"You're the one who wanted to drink," Dean chuckled.  
"Yeah, whatever," Seth said and looked at Roman. "Is she still sleeping?"  
"How should I know?" Roman asked.  
"Isn't she in your bed?" Seth suddenly felt wide awake.  
"Why the hell would she be there?" Roman looked at him puzzled.  
"I told her to go sleep in your bed since I... shit! Dean, please tell me she's in your room," Seth said.  
"Nope," Dean said.  
"Fuck!" Seth yelled.

He saw the writing on the wall. She was gone. She had snuck out during the night and he was to blame. It was all his fault. He hurried out of the kitchen but quickly stopped half way down the hallway and instead made his way to the livingroom. He sighed in relief at her body on the couch, all curled up, trying to keep herself warm in his big shirt.

"Oh, thank fuck," He breathed out.  
"Couldn't you at least have given her a blanket?" Roman asked as he and Dean walked into the livingroom as well.  
"She wasn't supposed to sleep in here. I sent her to your room," Seth said.  
"Clearly she didn't wanna spend the night with me. Go wake her up. We will make breakfast meanwhile," Roman said and pushed Dean out of the livingroom.

Seth walked over to the couch and sat down on the end, gently shaking her legs to wake her up. She came to shortly after and looked at him.

"Hi there," he said and smiled. "Why are you sleeping on the couch?"  
"You told me to leave," she said.  
"I didn't tell her to go in here. I know this piece of shit is horrible to sleep on," he said.

He reached his hand towards her and she took it, allowing him to pull her up to sit.

"Damn, you're cold," he said and wrapped an arm around her.

To his surprise she leaned in to his touch, almost snuggling up against his body, trying to get some of his body heat. He tightened his arm a bit, allowing her to sit there, enjoying the moment himself.

"We should get you in a hot shower to warm you up," he said.  
"What did I do wrong?" She asked.  
"Huh? What do you mean?" He asked.  
"Last night," she answered.  
"No, Thea, you didn't do anything wrong. I did and I'm sorry. I can't deny the attraction I have towards you but being drunk and stupid isn't the way to go," he said.  
"I kinda liked it," she mumbled into his chest.

He wasn't sure he heard her right but he smiled nonetheless. He wasn't about to question her or make her repeat it. He just wanted to enjoy the moment. She suddenly looked up and reached her hand towards his shoulder, gently moving her fingers around it.

"Who shot you?" She asked.  
"Just a guy. We've been trying to get to his boss for a while and apparently we got a little too close last night," he answered.  
"Who?" She asked.  
"Right, I keep forgetting you know the streets. You just seem so innocent sometimes," he chuckled. "Ever heard of a guy named Cesaro?"

By the way her entire body seemed to go stiff, he would say she had heard about him, maybe she even knew him on some level. It was like seeing her reaction when she heard their name and yet it was completely different. The fear was real but their name made her run while his name made her freeze.

"You know him?" He asked.  
"I gotta pee," she said.

She almost jumped up from the couch and ran to the bathroom. He heard the door close and lock and shortly after the water started. Knowing she would be in there for a while, he made his way back to the kitchen.

"I think she knows Cesaro somehow or at least know of him. His name scared her into using the bathroom excuse again," he said.  
"Who around here hasn't heard his name? He runs too much of this town if you ask me. That bloody Swiss cheese!" Dean said.  
"And he's not known for being nice towards anybody, male or female," Roman added.  
"Which is exactly why we won't stop till we take him down," Seth said.  
"Not you. You're on babysitter duty the rest of the week with that shoulder," Roman said.  
"I don't think he minds actually," Dean chuckled and winked.  
"I don't think she'll run though. She had every chance last night after I kicked her out of my room and she chose to sleep on our crappy couch. Even a park bench would have been more comfortable to sleep on," Seth said.  
"Maybe she likes you too," Roman said cheerfully and nudged Seth's good shoulder.


	6. We got trouble

Seth stayed home the next many days. Something seemed to have changed but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Something had changed between them, she seemed more distant. He blamed himself. He was sure it was his drunken persona that night that had scared her even though they seemed to have had a moment the morning after. He couldn't think of anything else it could be.

Still she spent the nights in his room and she would answer him when he talked to her. Her answers were just back to being short again, often nothing more than a yes or a no, and it was killing him.

The morning on day 9, or more in the middle of the night, had a rude awakening. Seth's door was pushed open with force and both he and Thea jumped as they woke up. Seth did the first thing he thought of, leaning over Thea, his arm around her, ready to protect her at all cause. It wasn't until he heard a familiar voice that he fully awoke and realized there wasn't any danger. At least not right there in his room.

"Get up!" Roman barked. "Slater just called. We got trouble."

Getting Heath Slater on their payroll as their personal snitch wasn't something that had come easy to Seth and Dean at first. However, they had to hand it to Roman. He had been right about the man.

"What's going on?" Seth asked as he got out of bed and into some clothes.  
"Someone tailed us last night," Roman answered.  
"I told you! I fucking told you I felt someone there!" Dean barked from the hallway.  
"Cesaro has sent out 5 men to our neighbourhood. We can't have them start beating up the elderly community we've worked so hard to protect here," Roman said.  
"Shit!" Seth hissed.  
"Can you fight?" Roman asked.  
"Can I fight? Please!" Seth snorted. "Give me a gun and I'll take everyone of them down."

Both of them looked towards the bed as she slowly got out of it as well with a scared look on her face.

"Seth?" She piped.  
"Hurry," Roman whispered and left the room.

Seth quickly walked over to her and took her hands, trying his best to keep a reassuring and calming look on his face.

"You gotta stay here, sweet cheeks. Alright? You'll be safe here," he said.  
"But..." She started.  
"No but. You be a good girl and stay here. I'll come back later," he said.

Her eyes were begging him. He wasn't sure what exactly they were begging for but he did the only thing that felt right in that moment. He pulled her close and kissed her. How he had missed those lips. He groaned as she opened her mouth and allowed him to deepen the kiss. He didn't wanna end it, he didn't wanna leave, but he had to. He broke the kiss and moved his mouth down to her ear.

"I'll come back. I promise," he said lowly.

He turned around and quickly left the room. She heard the front door open and close shortly after and the place was quiet. Dead quiet. Way too quiet. Her thoughts were too loud and she was scared. If Cesaro knew they were in this area, he might even find out which house they lived in and he would find her. No way she was staying around. She quickly put on some clothes, ran to the medical room and grabbed the scalpel and then she left the house too.

The second she stepped out on the street, she heard gunshots further down. The sound alone was enough to make her heart jump in her chest and send her running in the opposite direction as fast as she could. Running towards a place she never wanted to step foot in again, running towards a house that held nothing but bad memories.

It was still dark outside and she used the darkness to get there unseen. She knew he wouldn't be there, not if he had sent out men to take care of The Shield. He would be somewhere else, somewhere safe, waiting for them to report back to him. She quietly made her way through the garden to the unlocked cellar window and crawled through it, hoping to find the one person down there that usually kept to herself alone.

"Agneta," she said lowly as she spotted her sitting up against the wall.  
"Thea?" The other woman looked up surprised. "So it's true? You're not dead?"  
"It came close," Thea said and held out her arms. "Someone saved me."  
"Who?" Agneta asked.  
"The Shield," Thea answered.  
"The Shield? You better fucking run fast before he finds out," Agneta said. "Why have you even come back to this place?"  
"I need your help. I can't take the stitches out myself. Here," Thea said and handed Agneta the scalpel. "Please, do it before you light up that crack pipe."  
"That pipe is the only thing making me able to stand this life," Agneta said.  
"I know. I'm not judging," Thea said.

Agneta took the scalpel and gently worked her way through the stitches on Thea's arms.

"There, all good," she said and tried handing the scalpel back.  
"Keep it. Use it whenever you're in a bad situation. Get out of here," Thea said.  
"You know just as well as I the only way out of here is having you end up dead in an alley," Agneta said and sighed.  
"And yet I'm still alive," Thea said and smiled.  
"You got lucky. Why the fuck are you running away from that luck?" Agneta asked.  
"Luck finally caught up with me," Thea said.

She stood up, giving the other woman a final smile, and climbed back out of the window. Where she could go, she had no clue. She just needed to get away as fast as possible, before he came back to check up on the house and found her there.

"Where the fuck is she?" Seth screamed as he ran through the house. "Thea!"  
"She finally took off?" Dean asked.  
"She couldn't have gotten far. We took those fuckers down in no time," Seth said.  
"I'm gonna call Slater. Maybe he has heard about her," Roman said.


	7. On top of the hills

They had to work fast, before the morning sun would rise and wake up the entire town. They drove through the darkness, trying to reach the house before the break of dawn. Not actually wanting her to be there but still hoping to find her there. All Seth could hear was Slater's voice as Roman had called him and put it on speaker so they all could hear what he was saying.

 _"Thea? Sure, I remember her. She was one of Cesaro's girls from the brunette house. I've never understood why he likes to keep the girls in colour codes in his houses. But Thea was different. She refused to give in to what he wanted. He has this weird 30 days rule about breaking them. If he hasn't succeeded by then, they're no use for him. I heard he and two of his men took her to an alley to cut her open but next day her body was gone. He's been furious ever since, trying to find her to finish the job."_

Seth was furious and ready to kick in the front door as they arrived but Dean and Roman stopped him just in time.

"Do not make a scene. There are scared girls in there and probably some men too. We need to be smart about this," Roman said calmly as he pushed Seth around in the garden.  
"I spy with my little eye," Dean said and pointed. "An open window."

They quickly made their way to the window and crawled inside. It wasn't until all three of them were in that they noticed the woman in the room staring at them wide-eyed.

"Please, don't scream. We're not here to hurt you," Seth said.  
"Who the fuck are you?" She asked.  
"The Shield," Roman answered.  
"Really?" She suddenly smiled and went to stand up. "She told me about you."  
"Who?" Roman asked.  
"Thea," she answered.  
"Thea was here?" Seth asked.  
"Yeah, like 10 minutes ago or so. She wanted me to take out her stitches. She even let me keep this," she said and held up the scalpel.  
"That's mine!" Dean snapped.

Roman's hand landed on Dean's shoulder and squeezed hard, telling him now was not the time or the place to throw a fit over a scalpel.

"Is she still here?" Seth asked.  
"Oh, god no. She never wanted to be here in the first place. Cesaro couldn't break her like he did with the rest of us," she answered.  
"What exactly does he do to you?" Roman asked.  
"He's such a smooth talker at first, drawing us right in, making us feel like the only woman in the world. And then he changes. We're nothing but his money machines, his filthy little whores that he can give to whoever he wants to," she said angrily.  
"Oh no, Thea..." Seth whispered.  
"No, not Thea. He never got her to do it. He has this 30 days rule where he'll try his best to break us. Most of us doesn't last a week. He'll have his men holding us down while he takes it upon himself to rape us. After each time he'll ask us if we're ready to give in. If the answer is no, he'll leave a burn mark on our backs," she said.  
"30 burn marks," Seth growled lowly.  
"Yeah, Thea got all 30. I only got 4," she said.

She turned around and pulled up her top to show them to her.

"Sick fuck!" Dean spat.  
"How many of these house does he have?" Roman asked.  
"Three. One for the blondes, one for the brunettes, one for the redheads," she answered.  
"And in which of them does he live?" Roman asked.  
"Oh, he doesn't live with us. He's got his own perfect villa on top of the hills right outside of town," she answered.  
"No shit? He lives in that place?" Dean asked. "I always wanted to live there. Now, not so much anymore."

Roman took a step forward and reached his hand towards the woman, gently placing it on her cheek. She tilted her head a bit, enjoying his soft touch, something she hadn't experienced in a long time from any man.

"We're gonna take him down and when we do, all you ladies are free to roam wherever you want. Clean up your act and head for a better place. You got that?" He said.

She just nodded and gave him a little smile. He nodded back at her before pulling his hand away. Seconds after all three men had climbed their way back out of the window, leaving her alone in the cellar again.


	8. I'll make it so good for you

"What now?" Dean asked as they reached the car.  
"Now we go villa hunting," Seth answered.  
"Sun's coming up," Roman pointed out.  
"Better move fast then," Seth said.

They quickly got into the car, none of them noticing the small woman crouching down behind a bush, silently watching them. She hadn't gotten away before they drove up to the house and she was still scared. Scared they might be mad at her for leaving, scared what Cesaro would do if he found her with them, but even more scared now that she knew they were heading directly towards him.

"No, Seth," she whispered as she watched the car drive away.

She couldn't run away now. Not now when she knew where he was heading. Instead she ran back into the garden, climbed back into the cellar where Agneta sat with her pipe, already half gone. She quickly grabbed the scalpel next to Agneta and climbed back out the window. Then she ran as fast as she could, knowing they would reach the villa way faster than her, but she refused to give up. She refused to let him go.

It took almost 45 minutes to get there and everything was too quiet. She found their car and she saw fired bullets and a couple of dead bodies on the ground. None of the bodies belonged to The Shield so they had to be inside and she instinctly knew she wasn't gonna like what she would find.

The front door was left open and she made her way inside, following the low mumbling of voices that grew in volume the closer she got to them. Cesaro's voice. His cold, cynical voice.

"So you thought you could just come here and take me down, huh?" He asked mockingly. "Was that your grand plan?"

She peeked in through the open door and held her breath by the sight that met her. All three Shield members down on their knees with their hands behind their heads. Men with guns standing behind them while Cesaro was in front of them, leaning up against a desk with a sick smirk on his face. She couldn't do it. She couldn't allow him to hurt them.

"Cesaro," she said and entered the room.  
"Thea, fucking run! Get out of here!" Seth shouted.  
"Why won't the bitches in this town not just fucking die like they're supposed to?" Cesaro growled. "You have some balls showing your face here."  
"I'll do it," she said.  
"Do what?" He asked.  
"Anything you want me to. I'll do it. I'll work for you. Whatever you want, whoever you want, I'll do it. No complaints," she said.  
"Thea, don't you fucking dare!" Seth shouted.

A hard punch between his shoulder blades sent him down on the floor but he was quick to push himself back up, his eyes once again finding hers, his stare begging for her to get out of there.

"And why would you do that?" Cesaro asked, completely ignoring Seth's outburst.  
"Let them go. If you promise not to hurt them, I promise to bring in more money for you than any of your girls. I'll work day and night, I'll do groups, I'll do the sick hardcore stuff that all the other girls dread. Just let them go," she said.  
"Thea, don't. I'm not worth it. We're not worth it," Seth pleaded.  
"Come here," Cesaro waved her over.

Her heart felt heavy as she walked over to him. He grabbed her upper arm and stared at her, intimidating her all over again. For a few seconds he didn't say anything and then he smirked again and turned his head to look at Seth.

"Don't worry. I'll throw in a discount if you ever wanna come see her," he said mockingly.  
"You fucker! I'll kill you! Get your hands off her! I swear to god I'll kill you!" Seth sneered.  
"I'd like to see you try," Cesaro laughed.

He yanked her close while still staring at Seth, clearly showing his dominance over her towards the other man, mocking him openly.

"She will never be yours," he said.

His words were immetiately followed by a gurgling sound. His hands went to his throat as his eyes turned scared and suddenly blood started running out. Seth's eyes went to her hand where she was still holding the scalpel, shaking a little, watching the man she feared and hated slowly bleed out in front of her.

His men was so surprised that they forgot to watch the three men on their knees in front of them. A big mistake as the three Shield guys suddenly jumped up and started fighting, managing to get the guns from them and firing them into them. Bodies dropped down and so did Cesaro finally as his body slowly gave up.

"Thea?" She heard his voice but it seemed far away. "Hey, Thea, look at me. Sweet cheeks, come back to me."

He placed a hand on her back while the other took the scalpel from her. It seemed like a rerun from her first day with them. He handed Dean the scalpel and wrapped both his arms around her. She finally zoned out and her arms came around his back, holding so tight as if she tried to squeeze the air out of him. And then came the crying and it was the sweetest sound in the world to him. She was there, she was right there, still alive, still breathing, still with him.

"Come on, sweet cheeks, let's get you out of here," he said softly.  
"Yep, definately not wanting to live here anymore," Dean said as they started walking out.

She was quiet on the car ride back, just cuddling up against Seth as he held her close. No words were shared between him and his two friends as he escorted her directly to his bedroom and laid down on the bed with her.

"Seth," she whispered and reached out to bury her fingers in his hair.  
"Ssh, it's alright. You're safe here. You know that, right?" He said.  
"I know now," she said.  
"That's my girl," he said and pulled her close to kiss her. "Now we're just gonna lie here and talk or whatever you feel comfortable with."  
"I'd like that," she said and smiled. "And I'd like... I'd like..."

The words seemed to get stuck in her throat.

"You can tell me anything," he said.  
"I think I'd like something more but I'm scared," she said.  
"I won't hurt you," he said as he ran his hand up and down her back.  
"Can you go slow?" She asked.  
"With you? I can't make any promises because you're hot as fuck," he grinned at her childishly, making her laugh, before he leaned in to kiss her again.

When he pulled away from her again, his voice dropped low.

"I can go as slow or as fast or as hard or as deep that you like. I'll make it so good for you," he said. "But first..."

He held up a finger and smiled before rolling a bit back and turning his head towards the door.

"Dean!" He shouted. "I know you're there!"  
"How the hell do you always know that?" Dean shouted back.  
"Get the hell away from my room and go find your own girl!" Seth shouted.  
"Dean, get the fuck away from there!" Roman's voice joined in although it seemed further away.

They heard him walk down the hallway and stop outside Seth's door, undoubtedly standing next to Dean.

"We're going out!" He shouted.  
"You're no fun!" Dean pouted.  
"Stay away a couple of hours, will you?" Seth yelled before wriggling his eyebrows at her.  
"Anything for her but you better make sure to show her a damn good time!" Roman yelled. "And Thea! You use that voice that I know you got inside you and speak up if he messes up. You want me to bring something back to cool you down afterwards?"  
"Strawberry ice cream!" She shouted.  
"Strawberry ice cream," they heard Roman chuckle. "Well, damn, girl, strawberry ice cream it is. First time I hear you shout and you shout for ice cream."

Footsteps walked away from the door and shortly after they heard them disappear out of the house.

"Now where were we?" Seth asked as he looked at her again. "Oh yeah..."

He leaned over her again, his hands pushing her shirt up and his mouth finding her stomach, kissing it while his fingers worked the button on her jeans.

"I'll make it so good for you, sweet cheeks," he said between his kisses. "So fucking good that you'll never want me to stop."


End file.
